Mumbai Kidney Racket: More Doctors, Hospitals on Police Radar

Mumbai:Mumbai police has revealed that there are few more doctors, not just of Hiranandani hospital, who are on the radar and are likely to be questioned in a case of irregularities in kidney transplants in Mumbai hospitals.

Last month, the police in Powai had registered a case after they came to know of an illegal kidney transplant operation underway at the prestigious LH Hiranandani hospital. A health department committee had also looked into the irregularities and pointed fingers at five doctors including the CEO of LH Hiranandani hospital for negligence.

Soon after the report, the police had arrested these five doctors and produced them at Andheri metropolitan court on Wednesday. The court had ordered police custody of all the doctors to the investigating agency till August 13. The police is currently interrogating the doctors over possible connections with agents involved in an illegal trade and sale of kidneys.

Mumbai police refused to accept that the doctors who were conducting dialysis on Brijkishore Jaiswal and kidney donor Shobha Thakur for a month before the operation did not know that the duo were not married and were forging the relationship for monetary gains. Also, under the procedure laid down by the Human Organ and Tissue Act, the doctors are supposed to explain the procedure and the effects of the operation to the patients, which they did not do.

Senior officers of the Mumbai police said that investigators are now looking at other cases too where there are allegations of kidney being taken out of a person after doctors at LH Hiranandani hospital told the victim that the kidney would grow back after operation.

“We have asked victims to approach us,” said an officer on condition of anonymity. Mumbai police is also examining all kidney transplants conducted at the hospital for the last one year so that they can build a water-tight case against those involved in the racket.